The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-04
THE EARTH'S GREATEST CITY
Mr.. Halford Makes an Inspection of His
toric Places in Britain's Capital.
The Things He Saw in Westminster Abbey and
How They Impressed Him-Gossip About
Prominent Members of the Commons.


thirty hours ride of London. They seemed to be
all on a visit to town during my stay OF two
weeks. and, so far as I am concerned, there are
at least hundred and forty nine millions,
nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand more
than are at all necessary. After struggling with
London. and being thrown on my back, literally
and figuratively, am entirely in harmony with
MIR. Riley, and ''the little town of Tailholt is
good enough for me-" London is a vast wilder
ness of people, and houses, and chimney pots.
The latter attracted the attention of Dickens in
one of his Boz sketches, and they Will attract
the attention of anybody and everybody. For
some reason or other no London chimney is COM
plete or no iue will draw without a chimney
pot top of it. and there are millions of them
in every direction. London is the ucliest city in
the world. It's public buildings lack elegance
and style, and they all black and dingy with
the smoke and fog of this blessed climate. Bos
ton is rectllnear. SO far as its streets
cerned, compared with London, and when you
add to the fearful crookedness and volutons the
fact that it is miles and miles from anywhere
to anywhere, you have simply outlined
the general misery of trying to get about in the
modern Babylon. There several centers in
London that mark its various quarters and
good plan would be TO begin with one. live in it
a week, and then move to another, and another,
and until you have reasonably wellcovered
the place. The Bank, the Mansion House and
the Chamber of Commerce mark one; Charng
Cross and Trafalgar square another, in which
Westminster may be included then Hyde Park
may mark another, and still westward thers
would be another, while both on the Surrey and
Middlesex sides of the Thames there should be
still others. 1t is true the bus system is very
elaborate and covers London with a perfect net
work; but If you are quartered in one particular
spot for your whole visit you necessarily
forced to know that locality well and can merely
visit the others. I suppose followed the next to
universal custom and spent the first few days on
the tops of the omnibuses and then, aided by
trip up and down the Thames between Chelsea
and Greenwich, managed to get fair idea of
the extent and vastness of London, and also to
become somewhat acquainted with its street
architecture and the appearance Of its most
noted structures An additional aid TO this is the
inevitable climb to the top of St Pauls, and
which, in my case, proved to be the coup de
grace to my sightseeing ability. It out
the little back had left and sent me to the
of doctor and the sanitarium of bed. Proba-
bly, for this reason London has not left pleas
ant recollection with me. am glad have seen
it. and shall be quite as glad never to see it
again.
Two things impressed me Worthy of Lon
don-St. Pauls and the Nelson column, with
the Landseer lions, in Trafalgar square Mr.
Hawthorne explains in his English Note book
that he tired of dropping into ST.
Paul's, and to anyone who has been in the foam
and fret of London life and business it is
and felt in the Strand and in Fleet street
and Cheapside will understand what rest and
comfort there are in turning aside into St. Pauls
magnificent and vast interior and listening to
the distant of the it beats in cease
less but Intellectual whirl against this sanctuary
erected in its very vortex. ST. Paul's is not
spoiled by monuments. yet. Those that are
there do not mar it's symmetry interfere
with the vistas of transept and chancel A
great many here. including the beautiful
cenotaph to the Duke of Wellington, which &C.
cupies a chapel at the right of the main en-
trance but they blend and harmonic with the
structure, and not il the way of either eye
or body, as they in Westminster Abbey.
Over the north entrance door of the cathedral
is the inscription to Sir Christopher Wren.
while his tomb, like those of all others. is in the
crypt below. Isl monumentum uuHris cir
cumspice." Surely the great architect, who
would have made beautiful city out of London
had he been permitted to 60 so, could want no
better or grander monument than St. Paurs.
The view of the city from the tower is very
comprehensive, of course. The horizon stretches
miles and miles a&sy until at the verge green
fields and greener trees circumva,late the vast
arena of streets, houses. chimney pots and
smoke. It is somewhat significant that the
most prominent feature of the view
from the cathedral tower is the
Great Midland Railway station, st. Pancras
There is nothing inspiring about large rail-
way depot ard hotel: but the way it obtrudes
into and dominates the entire panorama is sym
bolic of the monopolizng tendencies of the iron
horse here and everywhere. The railways own
England and the continent more absolutely even
than they do the United States.
Naturally, the first place found myself near
was Westminster. This was rather by accident
than design, however; but when / saw the great
Victoria tower of the Parliament houses close By
me, the only thing to do was to turn aside to the
Abbey The exterior is not specially impressive;
it looks very little older than score or hundred
other bnildings-indeed, does not appear so
venerable or scholastic as the new Law Courts:
nothing looks in London; there may be de-
erees of dinginess and age. At the rear of the
Abbey is the chapel of Henry the Seventh
seeming to be a part of it. but really distinct.
The architecture of this is greatly finer and
richer. The. delicate tracery in stone both in
side and outside, is thing OF beauty and a ioy
forever. The inside of the Abbey is the furthsst
from impressive, except you allow the senti-
ment of the great Valhalla to steal away your
critical feeling. It is divided up that from no
point can be obtained an uninterrupted view. as
in st. Paufs. Entering the main door, you
only the nave. The choir and chan eel OBJ
structed. and in the latter the nave cannot be
seen. The best service anybody could do for
Westminster Abbey would be to clear it out
as the whole interior of the venerabl and stately
pile could be SEEN IF you enter at the north
door-the generally used-the only thing to
be seen is the transept ending in the wall of the
poets corner, which is the south transept.
Whatever part of the Abbey you are in. whether